The Next Life
by Nutty.Chameleon
Summary: When Axel thought of the next life, this is not what he imagined. The life of a gutter rat wasn't the best, especially when the Prince of Cats wants you caught, no matter what. Possibly AkuRoku/Zemyx/MarleyVexen. You decide.
1. Chapter 1

-oOo-Axel-oOo-

As dusk fell over the dark alleyways of London, the scampering of tiny paws fell deaf to the awakening night world. A rat with eyes as green as emeralds and fur as red as blood ran down the dark cobblestone streets, following his nose to where he could smell food.

He stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, before continuing on his small journey. And finally, he found what he was looking for. A large bin almost filled to the brim with old food and garbage that the humans discarded.

When Axel thought of the next life, this is not what he imagined.

As he climbed the silver container, he was unaware that a creature had already claimed this as his own.

A cat with the bluest eyes and fur that looked like it was made of golden tabby suddenly leaped atop of the bin, only centimetres from where Axel had been aiming to jump.

"Get out of here, scum. This is mine!" The cat hissed, its fluffy tail poofed out, making itself look more intimidating.

Axel made a sound like a frightened child, and hurried away from the gold feline. But as he was running, he thought the heard the cat call.

"Hey- Hey wait!" He didn't stop. He wouldn't take his chances on being eaten.

He scampered until he was sure he was out of sight.

"Oh, look how the mighty have fallen!" Chuckled a raven from its perch on the roof.

"Shut up, Zexion." Axel panted, trying to catch his breath. "You just think you're amazing because you can fly away."

"Well, it's not my fault you were reborn as a rat." The raven sighed. "Anyway, any look on finding Roxas yet?"

"No. I actually doubt if he's here. I mean, he didn't die. He just went back inside of Sora. God- That sounds wrong. Roxas inside of Sora... Ew."

"Well, I've got to get to the zoo now. Demyx will get annoyed if I don't bring him his pizza slices before the end of the night. The many difficulties of being a seal, right? He's stuck in a cage for laughing, giggling humans to look at." Zexion cawed softly. "Good luck, Axel." Then, he spread his ebony wings, and flew away.

Axel sighed, and started to clean himself. He licked his paws, and brought them to his face and started with scrub vigorously. After he was sure that his face was as clean as he could make it, he turned around and licked his flanks. It was a very delicate process, and he would often spend at least ten minutes cleaning himself.

Next, he went and found a safe place to curl up and sleep just as the call of a cat could be heard in the distance.

-oOo-Roxas-oOo

He stared in shock at the red rodent that ran away from him. That couldn't of been Axel... could it? Well, whatever.

He leaped off the top of the bin, and proceeded to push it over, spilling out its contents. He rooted through it himself, looking for whatever looked most appetizing. There wasn't much. He settled for a half eaten chicken wing, and nibbled at the soft, juicy meat which didn't even have any mould on it yet, and it didn't smell too bad, either.

'_Score!_' he thought as he cracked open one of the brittle bones, and licked out the flavour-filled marrow.

When he had his fill, he let out a soft mew.

"Xion, Naminé, come here."

Two other cats walked towards him. A light ginger tabby and a dark cat with fur as black as the night sky made their appearance.

"Yes, your highness?" Xion chuckled. "What is it that the Prince of Cats wants?"

"Oh, shut up, Xion! I could just call you the same, _Princess._" Roxas retorted to his sister.

"Stop arguing like a couple of kittens- I mean, children." Naminé sighed. It was difficult, having the memories of being a human, yet still being a cat at the same time.

"Sorry, Nami." Roxas pouted. "Anyway, both of you, choose your food. The rest of our subjects are getting hungry, and I won't be able to hold off an entire horde of starving cats for very long." He said in a commanding tone. "And after they finish eating, tell them all to gather behind the chipper. It's urgent."

Roxas leaped away from the bin, and jumped atop a large dumpster. He took a deep breath, and let out a long call. A call to gather all his underling to the food. Tonight was going to be a long night for the Prince of Cats.

-Chapter One End-

* * *

><p><strong>-AN-**

**Well, that was fun... See, Kairi, I told you I think about odd things before I go to sleep! D: Really, this just came to me before I went to bed... And then I couldn't sleep, thinking about details and whatnot. Also, reviewers, you decide how this story goes. Will it be serious? Crack? Yaoi? Friendship? You decide! :D This story relies ONLY on what you guys say to me. **

2 reviews for the next Chapter. . That's right. I'm being evil today.


	2. Chapter 2

-oOo-Axel-oOo-

_As he sat on the top of the Tower, the golden light of the sun set falling upon him, he wondered where Roxas could be. When he heard footsteps behind him, he spun around quickly._

"_Rox-" He cut himself off as he seen who it was. "Oh hi, Xion." He sighed._

"_Why the long face, Axel?" asked the girl with the black hair._

"_Roxas hasn't been here for days now. He's only ever here when I'm not. I think he's avoiding me." He let spill._

"_Well, that's because he has been. He's scared to see you, Axel." Xion chirped._

"_W-What? Are you two going out or something, is that what?" Axel said disgustedly._

"_Wait, hold on! You think that he- That's why- Hahaha!" Xion burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. "Oh, Axel, you're so silly. It's not like that at all. I think of him as a big brother."_

"_Then why is he avoiding me? I mean, he couldn't be going out with Naminé, and definitely not Larxene."_

"_Baka!" Xion giggled, and held out a blue-green ice-cream to him. "He likes you. But he's scared you'll hate him, because he's gay. He doesn't know you love him too." She turned her head and watched the sun set with soft eyes, amusement firmly on her face as Axels' cheek's turned a bright shade of red._

_Axel's face calmed down and he stared at the sky with an emotionless expression. "You're wrong, Xion. We're Nobodies, we can't love."_

_Axel was unaware that Roxas had been listening the entire time, and that night was the night Roxas left._

_-End Flashback-_

Axel awoke to the sound of scratching of claws on concrete, not too far to where he was laying. He knew well enough by now that wasn't a good sign. He leaped to his tiny paws, and glared at the beast that was scratching it's black paws under the dumpster where he was resting.

When the paw reached too close, he jumped on it and nipped it. "Get back, filthy cat!" he squeaked.

The paw immediately withdrew, and a feminine voice called in astonishment.

"A-Axel!"

He moved to the edge of the shadows he was hiding in, and poked his head out. A large, fluffy black cat with blue eyes stared at him.

"Omigosh, it _is _you, Axel!" The cat squealed. He knew that voice anywhere.

"Xion?" he gasped.

"Axel, I can't believe it... You're alive. Well, obviously not in your original body, but you're still living. I have _got_ to tell Naminé about this!"

'_No wonder Roxas was so distracted last night...'_ Xion thought to herself, staring at the red rat.

"How is your fur so red, Axel? It looks very unnatural." She asked.

"Oh, well!" Axel puffed proudly. "I snuck into this human store called '_Boots'_ and they had hair dye. I chose the colour my hair was, and stole it. It was very difficult, mind you, dragging a bottle twice your size while being chased by rampaging workers and startled customers. But, I managed, and here I am."

Xion smiled down at Axel. It was a very strange feeling, looking at Axel being so tiny when he used to be so tall. It was irony, really.

"So... How have you been, Xion?" He asked gently.

"I've been fine. Living within the Kingdom of Cats is very hard, especially when you have several different litters of siblings competing to be the ruler of all the Alley Cats. Being a Princess is so hard!" She sighed.

"Wait- What? Ruler of Alley Cats? Princess? What are you talking about, Xion?" asked the crimson rat in confusion.

"Oh, yeah, you don't know any of our customs, do you? Well. I guess I should tell you..." Xion trailed off.

_Four small kittens looked up to their parents, their blue eyes wide with confusion and anticipation._

_Their mother smiled down at them_

"_It is time I told you of our ways, my kittens. You are all the most intelligent kits ever to be born under our sky. You know more of the human ways, how to track food, and tactics than most of our eldest trackers. You are all amazing, and will make a fine group of leaders."_

"_Leaders?" asked the largest kitten, a fluffy brown tabby with darker blue eyes than the other male._

"_Yes." said their mother. "In our group, we have a group of leaders, one entire litter. When each cat has a litter, they are all competing for the throne. Only one litter at a time. Then, when you all are older, you will all have your own children. And they will compete against each other, just like you and your older cousins are. The losers are sent to be followers of their sibling's kittens, and the whole cycle begins anew."_

_The brown tabby had a confused look on his face, while the golden tabby looked determined, and the two females looked at each other in glee._

"_I'm definitely going to win, Mamma." The golden kitten cried, jumping to his feet. He turned to his brother, and stated, "Sora, let's fight. I at _least_ want to have some challenge when I win."_

"_Oh yeah? Well, I'll show you! I'm gonna beat you to a pulp, and claim the throne, all for my own!" He cried indignantly, only to be sent tumbling to the ground a few seconds later._

_All four kittens looked at their mother, who was laughing lightly, aquamarine eyes soft with happiness._

_Then, a small white cat bounded up to her. "Aqua, your Majesty, there's been a border skirmish... and Ventus..."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Wow... That's harsh. And, wait, you have siblings? Who are they?" Axel asked, even though only one name was playing around in his head.

A plan formed in Xion's head. She had the perfect idea.

"Oh, Sora is one of my brothers. And Naminé is my sister. Our other brother... Is Cloud. Yeah, Cloud is his name." She said, making up a name on the spot.

"Oh... Then, I guess Roxas really isn't here." Axel sighed sadly.

Suddenly, another cat leaped from nowhere. It was a dark grey tabby, with a thin, cut-up tail, and mite-bitten fur.

"Oh, looks like little Princess caught herself a rat! And it sounds to me like you weren't killing it, but telling it all out families secrets. My mother will be so happy about this!" The grey tabby laughed manically.

"Nuka!" Xion snapped. "If you tell Zira, I'll personally tell Riku to rip out your throat!"

Axel just stared as the two had a battle with their eyes. Eventually, Nuka lowered his head.

"Fine." He hissed. "But, I'm going to tell your brothers. They'll want to know that you have a friendship with a _rat,_ a cat's sworn enemy." With that, the tabby named Nuka slinked away.

"Well." Xion sighed. "I guess I'll have to show you to my siblings, after all, if Nuka doesn't get their first." She leapt away, and started to walk back to the camp.

Axel just stared helplessly at his friend.

'_Roxas is going to kill me. He hates it when I don't bring home any food, and he's way too protective of the Cat Laws. The first rule... '_**Don't have friendships with prey or enemies'**_, I so broke that... And, he hates it when anyone talks of Axel. Shit.'_

_-Chapter 2 End-_

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's it for Chapter Two! :D Sorry it took so long. I kinda grew lazy.. and I couldn't think of anything. Thanks, 0blivionkeeper, if it wasn't for you suggestions, I probably wouldn't of written it so long...<strong>

_Okay, I'm still evil, so _


End file.
